Softball Banner

This past spring I was asked to create a softball banner for my daughters team.  For the record, I am in general not a photographer who does composites, and had never created a banner like this – it was a little nerve wracking!  The first thing I did was pay a visit to my favorite template designers site – Ashe Design and selected “Stormy Arena” which I thought best fit the photos I had previously taken of the Hurricanes softball team (in addition to matching their name!).

Working with the coach, the team image was selected and I set to work masking it into the template.  Not as easy as it seems like it should be, but there are great tutorials on the Ashe Design site.

Creating a Composite Image

Once my image was added to the template I modified the text, added the girls and coach names, removed raindrops from awkward places, blended small areas that were not quite right and modified the size.  The Ashe Design template had separate layers for everything and it was incredibly easy to modify the composite to get the image EXACTLY how I wanted it by moving components/masking/changing the opacity/etc.  I was SO pleased with the results, and it looked amazing when printed.  The girls loved their banner!!!

Softball Banner - 2015 Hurricanes Fastpitch 10u www.tressiedavisphotography.com

 

My first love as a photographer will always be portraits, but I have to admit that I really had a good time with this.  Also Ashe Design rocks 🙂

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

Freckles

I love freckles in general, but there no freckles that I adore more than the ones on my little guy’s face.  He is not covered with them, but has just the perfect smattering across his cute little nose.

When I saw the Freckles contest on Viewbug, I had to enter.  I immediately took Mister Robby out to the front yard and told him to sit on the sidewalk.  The beautifully engaging smile? That was all him, and it makes the image don’t you think?

Robby's Freckles - www.tressiedavisphotography.com

Did I mention that I am a Viewbug member?  I love this site for inspiration – if you’re interested in photography check it out!!

 

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

She’s a Photographer

I released a relaxed exhale as we left the cruise ship and began our walk down the path to the beach, enjoying the happy laughter of our kids as they raced ahead, cool breeze flowing through my hair when…”excuse me, will you take our picture?”.  I awkwardly accepted the offered point and shoot and even more awkwardly try to figure out how it works as my dear husband says “you picked the right person, she’s a PHOTOGRAPHER“.

I wanted to slap him.

I don’t know why I am so uncomfortable with the title being blurted out like that. Is it because I perceive that other people will assume I should know how to work ALL cameras as I stupidly fumble with theirs?  Is it because I know in this moment, this light, this location they will get nothing more than a snapshot (some photographer, they will think when they review the photo) or is it in fear of the dreaded “me too!” As every Tom, Dick and Sally is now a “professional photographer”?  Or horror – if they really ARE a photographer, are they secretly judging me by the quality of their requested snapshot?

At that moment, it was a little of all of the above I think.

Am I a snob?  Maybe. Sometimes. But paradoxically I am also supremely insecure about my own abilities and wonder what my place is in the photography world.  Permanently ensnared between confidence and insecurity, flowing one way or the other with the wind – I’ve heard enough stories to know that I am not the only photographer/artist to feel this way.

So the next time I’m on vacation and I am the one that stops an unsuspecting passerby with “excuse me, will you take a picture of us?”, and she looks at me awkwardly as her husband pipes up “you asked the right person, she’s a PHOTOGRAPHER!’, I will smile warmly and say “me too”.

Riley and me in Grand Cayman (2011)
Riley and me in Grand Cayman (2011)
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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

One Cool Cat – Pet Portrait Session

This Tressie Davis Photography Pet Portrait session was a ton of fun, and my first real experience making professional portraits of a cat. As most folks know, you can’t “make” a cat do anything…so most of the session involved me following Havarti around and waiting for him to look cute. Sometimes he did. And sometimes he had attitude. But that’s ok, because spunk and personality always photograph well, and this kitty had spunk and attitude to spare. Meet Havarti, he is one cool cat…
Pet Portrait by Tressie Davis Photography
Pet Portrait by Tressie Davis Photography
Cat Portrait by Tressie Davis Photography
Cat Portrait by Tressie Davis Photography
Cat Portrait by Tressie Davis Photography

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

Backyard Baby

A small tree in my backyard held a little surprise.  A nest with three eggs.  I told myself I’d photograph the progress frequently….then I got distracted (squirrel!).

By the time I took my camera outside, one baby had hatched and grown up!!

Baby Bird - Tressie Davis Photography

Mama bird was NOT very happy that I was looking in her nest…

Bird on Wire - Tressie Davis Photography
Bird on Wire - Tressie Davis Photography

The next time I went to check, mama bird had kicked the baby out of the nest!!!  All that was left was the two eggs that never hatched.

Robin Eggs in Nest - Tressie Davis Photography

The End.

ps – if you have a little time to waste and want to watch something cool, check out this video of a robin hatching from its egg.

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.